Whirrakee : a monthly newsletter

HIRRAKEE

March 2015 Vol. 36 No. 2

Registered by Australia Post. Publication No. VBH4462 _

RRR rien

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER OF THE BENDIGO FIELD
NATURALISTS CLUB —

Bendigo Field Naturalists Club Inc.
Address for correspondence: PO Box 396, Bendigo 3552.
ISSN 0812-423X

Website: www.bendigofieldnaturalists.asn.au

E-mail address: info@bendigofieldnaturalists.asn.au

Office Bearers for 2014 - 2015

President Rod Orr e-mail: r.orr@westnet.com.au 5443 5668
Vice President Jenny Shield e-mail: jennyshield66@gmail.com 5441 4029
Secretary/Public Officer Matt Comer . 0409 162 627
Treasurer Ben Goonan

Positions delegated by the Committee
Minute Secretary vacant
Excursion organiser John Lindner 5448 3406
Syllabus organiser Ben Goonan
Librarian Diana Collier & Maryann Hill 5443 0137
Garden Convenor/Secretary Jan Orr
Hall Management at Maurie Lewis (assisted by Rob Moors) 0407 427179

Whirrakee contact/editor Sabine Wilkens e-mail: s.wilkens@latrobe.edu.au 5443 2797
Whirrakee mailing coordinator Rod Orr :
Website coordinator/Webmaster Ben Goonan

Membership of the Bendigo Field Naturalists Club is open to all those interested in Natural
History. The subscription rates are: Single $40; Family $50; Concession: Single $35; Family $40.
Whirrakee subscription only is $40.

General meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month. The venue for General
meetings is the Golden Square Senior Citizens Building, Old High Street, Golden Square. The
meeting starts with members sharing their recent natural history observations. The invited speaker
starts at 8:00pm and meetings conclude with supper. The Annual Meeting is held in September.

Committee meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30pm. Members of the
Committee are the Office Bearer listed above and the following members: Alistair White, Kerrie
Norris, John Lindner, Diana Collier, Jan Orr, Devi Shanty, Simon Hay

Excursions are conducted regularly and are advertised on the diary page of the Whirrakee. The
assembly point for excursions is the Golden Square Senior Citizens Building, unless otherwise
specified. Several interclub field naturalist campouts are held every year.

The Bendigo Field Naturalists Club is actively involved in local conservation issues. An
indigenous garden has been established around the Golden Square Senior Citizens Building.
Working bees are advertised on the Whirrakee diary page.

Bird Observing: Club members conduct regular bird surveys. Please contact Anne Bridley 5442
6188 or Glenise Moors 5439 6254 for details. Special bird observations should be reported to Anne
Bridley 5442 6188. To propose bird observing excursions please contact Kerrie Norris 5447 8017.

WHIRRAKEE

Monthly Newsletter of the Bendigo Field Naturalist Club

Vol. 36, No. 2, March 2015

Whirrakee takes its name from the Whirrakee Wattle (Acacia williamsonii), which is virtually
endemic to the Bendigo region

CONTENT

More information about unknown moth (Nov. 2014) Colin Thomas

Item Contributor Page
Short notices 3
Letter to the editor Ben Goonan 3
Colour photo section various contributors 4
A fascinating insect on eucalypt bark John Lindner 8

9

9

Planned excursions for 2015 John Lindner et al.

Authors are responsible for the accuracy of the information they use and also for any opinions
expressed in their articles. Contributions should be posted or e-mailed to the editor at least two days
prior to the last Wednesday of the month. They will be included as soon as possible after they are
received, although space restrictions occasionally require shortening of articles or holding them
over till the following edition of Whirrakee.

Articles in Whirrakee may be reproduced, but permission should be obtained from the Bendigo
Field Naturalists Club, and acknowledgment should be given to the author and the Club. Some
back issues are still available on request.

Editor’s Note

It is great to see that only in the second month of the year, a full excursion program is up and
running. Thanks to the new excursion committee for putting in the hard work and getting commit-
ments from leaders. The June excursions is part of the club’s 70th birthday celebration. and there
is also a call for suggestions for speakers related to our clubs history and achievements (see page
3), so please put your thinking caps on. At the same time as looking back over 70 years of club
history, conservation battles and marvellous discoveries, we also need to look forward and face the
reality of many clubs today (see letter to the editor on page 3). Hopefully our club will continue to
be fruitful and a source of knowledge, advice, initiative, fun and fellowship, so that in another 70
years time, this period is also worth celebrating. Any letters you might wish to publish in response
to the one on page 3, will appear in the same place.

Front page photographer: Michael Angove (see page 5 for colour version)
This Australasian Grebe was spotted at the end of February at the old tip site. It is a shy water bird
that usually dives out of sight on approach. The website “Birds in Backyards’ states...’like other
grebes, the Australasian Grebe is often seen eating its own feathers and feeding them to its young.
This behaviour is thought to help prevent injury from any sharp fish bones that are swallowed.’

Short Notices

Nestbox Monitoring

Discussion is under way with the ranger of
Crusoe and Number 7 Parks, to assist with the
monitoring and recording of fauna species
utilising the park’s many nestboxes.

Members who are interested in assisting with
this project should contact Kerrie Norris ph.
54478017 for further details

Suggestions sought for speakers for 2015
general meetings

If any members have suggestions for speakers
or topics relevant to the Club's achievements
and history, please contact Ben Goonan (e-
mail:bengoonan@hotmail.com, ph 54463587,
Mail: PO Box 28 North Bendigo VIC, 3550.
Ideas or speaker suggestions don't need to be
fully fleshed out, but a (list of) topic(s) (with
some notes) and the people involved or those
with some knowledge would be great.

Nine days on Tang Tang

A video camera trap on a.drying wetland in
north central Victoria

Produced by Adrian Martin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RkKNbCn
72azY

I highly recommend this 6 minute YouTube
video. It is most surprising! (ed.)

Letter to the editor

What makes a strong, healthy and vibrant
association?

Many people have noticed and commented on
the general trend of declining active involve-
ment in incorporated associations, clubs and
other groups (ranging from popular sporting
activities to special interests) over recent
times (decades?). This may be an inevitable
outcome of the changing attitudes and
priorities of people today, as they struggle to
meet all the demands placed on them, and/or
related to larger societal changes also taking
place, as they constantly do. It may be some-
thing that we, in our club, choose to ignore

and continue on as best we can, until
ultimately the worst case scenario (the club
ending) becomes reality, rather than the bright
and positive future we all imagine for this
enterprise we hold dear. It may be something
that washes over us and is far bigger than we
can tackle despite our best efforts. I would
like to think, however, there are options
available to us that will overcome these
challenges and together we can continue to be
a strong, healthy and vibrant association.

In thinking about these issues we must con-
front the very real possibility that the way
things have been organised and operated may
not be the way they are in the future. Things
may not (certainly don’t have to) look or feel
too different from afar, but structurally and
fundamentally they will be different, some-
times very different (and likely to be in ways
we cannot even imagine now?) in order to
meet these challenges facing us. While this
(change) may be a daunting thought it is also
the inspiration and motivation for getting the
balance right between needing to adapt and
maintaining traditions.

One important aspect that I believe makes a
strong, healthy and vibrant association is
participation. Individually, involvement with-
in the association is carried out, or embodied,
in many different ways and this is to be
celebrated. Encouraging participation across
all aspects of the association is vital to
success. So it is on this note I would like to
invite all members of our club to participate
in and contribute to the conversation about
what our success and future will be. My
question is, how do you think we can be a
strong, healthy and vibrant association for the
TCX tanneeeeere years? Please share your thoughts
and ideas with me by emailing them, phoning
me for a chat, or writing to me. I also strongly
encourage you to discuss your ideas with
other members, committee members or
contact the Club's Secretary (anonymously if
you wish) to share your thoughts. The more
conversations stimulated by this article the
better!

Kind Regards, Ben Goonan

e-mail: bengoonan@hotmail.com, Phone:
(03) 54463587

Mail: PO Box 28 North Bendigo VIC, 3550

Male Eastern Spinebill in the
Dandenongs in February

Photos by Ian Brown

Can anybody identify these caterpillar-like looking insects?
Some look like a pupa (already?). May be that is what the
web is for? The host tree is not known.

Below: note the pollen on the bird’s beak

Above: Correction from January/February Whirrakee
My sincere apologies about misnaming the beautiful
bird on the front cover of the last edition (from Bill
Flentje). It was a Spotted Nightjar and not an Owlet
Nightjar.

Top left: European Goldfinch, a striking bird!
(mid-November 2014)

Top right: The Australasian Grebe from the
front cover spotted at the end of February. It
was seen guarding young ones at that time.
Bottom left: New Holland Honeyeater
(these three photos by Michael Angove, all
taken at the old tip site)

Middle left: Azure Kingfisher, the second
photo shows off its bright red legs
Middle right: Nankeen Night-heron.
(Both photographed by Bruce Johnson at
Barmah Forest during a boat trip on the
Murray - highly recommended).

Left: These
delicate
constructions and
their builders
(Glycaspis sp)
were discovered
by Family Nature
club participants
at the last
excursion (15th
February) to Lake
Tom Thumb.

Psyllids, which

are sapsuckers,
use the excess sugar they ingest to build their small exquisite (and sweet) shelters. The shelter is
added to as the nymph grows (an uncovered nymph is shown also).

Lerps, psyllids and other sap-suckers

Left: Woolly Aphid (also known as Mealy
Bugs) were also spotted by our sharp-eyed
Family Nature Club participants at Tom Thumb.
(both photos by Rod Orr)

Below: A typical patch of the colonies of
Platybrachys barbata (a leafhopper = sapsucker)
described in John Lindner’s article on page 8
(Photo 1). Close up below left (Photo 2)

(Photos 1-8 from John Lindner)

Adult insects of Platybrachys barbata at the top of the patch (Photo 3 and 4 below)

Below: Egg clusters, unhatched (left) and hatched (right) (Photos 5 and 6)

Below: Crawlers or nymphs (Photo 7) Below: The foreign insects, possibly
Nata ‘cl parasitic wasps (Photo 8)

4 7 mr, es

A fascinating insect on eucalypt bark

by John Lindner
Introduction
Over the dreaded New Year period, I success-
fully escaped on a canoe trip down the
Murray River. Mind you, it was organized 6
months before the event, as I was making
final preparations to go to WA. I will go to
just about any lengths to avoid the potential
noise and horror of New Year’s Eve. On our
trip, we made some interesting observations
of a particular insect on the smooth-barked
River Red Gums.

In mid-January, I forwarded all my informa-
tion and pictures to the Museum of Victoria
Discovery Centre, with the promise that at
least two experts in the field might be able to
provide a validated identification, and perhaps
a few more bits of information. Nothing has
been heard in a month, and I don’t expect it
to, despite following the request up. You get

so excited when someone on the phone seems '

to be taking an interest in your findings, but
when it all seems to just disappear into the
ether, it is a letdown. So in the end I[ had to
do my own sleuthing. I am fairly sure my
identification is correct. My thanks are due to
Bob Jones who put me on the right track.

The insect in question

Order Hemiptera (“bugs” which suck
plant juices through special mouth-par
Suborder Homoptera (leaf-hoppers,
cicadas, scale-insects)

Family Eurybrachidae (Eurybrachid
Planthoppers)

Subfamily Platybrachinae

Tribe Platybrachini

Genus Platybrachys (Gumtree
Hoppers, most widespread genus in Australia)
Species barbata

Common name Teeth-marked Gum Hopper,
so called because the marks on the back of the
female supposedly resemble teeth.

Time and place

Location Murray River, between Chalka

Creek pumping station to Hattah Lakes and
Red Cliffs, about 120 k. of river.

Dates 30 December 2014 to 4 January 2015.

Event Canoe trip, Bendigo Bushwalking and
Outdoor Club.

Species of tree River Red Gums (Eucalyptus

camaldulensis).

Notes Measurements are approximate - an

accurate ruler was not available.

References

*Google — large eurybrachid planthoppers

ewww .brisbaneinsects.com/brisbane_planthop

pers/GumHopper2.htm

eHughes R. D., Living Insects, a volume in

the Australian Naturalist Library, Collins

1974

eCSIRO, The Insects of Australia, 1973

Large-scale observations (photo 1, page 6)
We immediately noticed large white patches
on the smooth bark of River Red Gums, and
the patches continued along the whole river
trip. The patches ranged from the size of a
hand to 0.5 metres long, and were round or
oval-shaped. They were generally above 2
metres from the ground, some being low and
others quite high. For my photos, I was lucky
enough to find an active patch near the
ground, accessible by building a pile of logs
to stand on. Many patches (at least on the
NSW bank) seemed to be oriented facing
generally west.

Small-scale observations

White patches (photo 2, page 6)

The patches comprised soft, white, fluffy
material, arranged in small, round blobs about
1.0 cm in diameter. Each blob formed a low,
textured dome, with the centre slightly higher

than the edge, and had a fluffy, cottony

texture. The blobs were positioned touching
each other, but each one was distinct. The
cottony material stuck to your fingers if you
touched it. The lower parts of large patches
often had big holes due to hatching of
nymphs.

Adult insects (photos 3 and 4, page 7)

These were “hopper-type” insects with a pair
of wings visible from the top. The colour was
generally brown, but with a camouflaging
pattern of buff and black. The size was about
1.5 cm from the head to the tip of the wings.
They had two prominent, brown eyes.

Viewed side on, a stylet could be seen folded
against the body, pointing backwards. The
adults sprang from the surface if touched or
disturbed, but actual flight was not seen. The
adults were only seen positioned at the top

end or upper sides of the cottony patches. If _

the rear of the wings of a stationary adult
were carefully lifted, the body could be seen
vibrating over one of the cottony masses, and
it was assumed that the adult was laying the
eggs and secreting the cottony material
around them.

Eggs (photos 5 and 6, page 7)

These were elongated, pale green, somewhat
translucent and fragile looking. They were
laid overlapping each other a little. The
cottony mass was then deposited to hide
them. The eggs were about 1.0 mm wide by a
few mm long. After hatching, the empty egg
cases could be seen in their neat clusters,
formerly hidden. The cottony covering had
gone, and we speculated that it might have
been eaten.

Crawlers (first instar nymphs) (photo 7)
These were very numerous on the barer parts
of the white patches. They were black,
flattened and oblong and about 2 —- 3 mm
long. They had 6 legs and 2 long, pale
whiskers at the rear. They appeared to be
hiding amongst the white fluff. Could they
have been eating the fluff as their first food?
This could have accounted for the lower
sections of large patches being somewhat
bare, whereas the top part was intact. Could
the fluff be a type of sugar or carbohydrate
made as a by-product from the sap by the
adults? The crawlers did not seem to be very
active, but they were fidgety. They too would
spring from the surface when poked.

‘Foreign insects’ (photo 8)

There were some other insects present too.
They had a different body shape. They were
black, had 6 legs and 2 antennae, and were
about 5.0 mm long. There were fewer of
them than the nymphs. They could have had
any one of a number of roles — eating the
fluff, eating the eggs or parasitising the eggs.

Conclusion

It was quite engaging to encounter an insect
phenomena continuing over such a long
distance.

The white patches were easily seen from the
river as we canoed along. There was a lot of
activity at each patch, so obviously the
conditions were just right for the insects. I
have never seen anything like this around
Bendigo, but I have seen huge infestations of
Cup-moth larvae (Doratifera) on eucalypt
leaves in some years.

This comment may sound rather naive, but I
must say that finding masses of small animals
doing what evolution has moulded them to do
is a great antidote to the hypocrisy and lies we
see paraded before us every day in the media.
It is truthful, simple, elegant, timeless and
incredibly beautiful.

Unknown golden moth from Grampians
(photo by Sarah Floyd in Nov Whirrakee, p6)
Colin Thomas from Maiden Gully wrote in
December to say that he had seen an identical
moth at Creswick in October, and that this
moth also occurs in Bendigo in a lighter form
(lemon yellow with an olive stripe). He has
seen it at Maiden Gully and Salomon Gully in
September, both times in native grassland.

Proposed excursion program for 2015
by John Lindner
Introduction
Excursion sub-committee
John Lindner 5448 3406
Alistair White (0419) 613737
Simon Hay — (0410) 424686
Theoretical excursion scheme
- 6 excursions per year minimum
- Held as season and opportunity dictates
- Ideally will be the Sunday after the monthly
meeting
- Suggestions for further locations and themes
are very welcome, to be run at some time in
the future.
- Most excursions will start at the clubrooms
in Golden Square, except where noted

Excursions planned for 2015 t<
1. Friday March6 _—-Half day Theme: Waterbird count (autumn — no 1), see back page

2. Sunday April 26 Full day

Theme Wellsford Forest’s big eucalypts (Red rreoribeanit Yellow Gum)

Leader John Lindner and possibly others

Location Meet at Golden Square, and proceed to the start at the junction of Ellesmere Track
and Box Track, 14.0 km from Taylor Street, Epsom

Details 4.7 km (loop, return) walk to visit 9 large eucalypts

Notes We will use the club’s field speaker system

Topics How such large organisms actually function. Measurements (height, diameter,

volume, weight). The role of big trees in the ecology of the forest

3. Sunday May 17 ‘Full day Theme: Big Red Ironbarks at Bung Bong

Leader John Lindner and possibly others

Location Property of Lindy Lumsden at Bung Bong, between Maryborough and Avoca,
approx. 100 km south-east of Bendigo

Ironbarks This large stand of untouched, original trees is most likely the only one of its kind in
Victoria. The trees have large diameters, very wide spreading crowns and are
generally not extremely tall. Understorey growth is limited.

Transport __It is intended to hire a 22-seater bus, with both the club and individual members
contributing to the full cost

Note We will use the club’s own field speaker

Details Walking, but not sure of the distance at the moment

4. Sunday June 14 ‘Full day Theme: Fungi —

_ Leader Rod Orr, Joy Clusker

Final date This date may change, depending on the season and whether conditions for fungi are
favourable (ie early autumn rains, reasonably warm weather)

Location Babbington Road and Bullarto Reservoir (east of Daylesford)

Note This will be an event for the 70th anniversary, which visits haunts pioneered by
Reg Smart (died 2013), once our pre-eminent fungi authority and photographer

5. Sunday July 12 Full day Theme: Geology Leader: Eric Wilkinson
Detailed notes and maps will be made available Location Volcanic area south of
Castlemaine, with 13 stops (eg. lsat Consultation, Guildford area, Yandoit, Digiestae)

6. Friday August 14 Halfday ‘Theme: Waterbird count (spring - no 2) Leader: Jane Cleary

Location Coliban Water sewerage treatment works, Epsom
dt. Sanday August 30 Full day Theme: Wattles of the Bendigo area Leader: tba
Location ‘Greater Bendigo N ational Park — - Whipstick ane! Kamarooka sections

8. “Long weekend” - Friday 11, Saturday 12, Sunday 13 September Activity: Campout
Leaders Alistair White, Simon Hay Ce
Locations Mount Samaria State Park (between Benalla ane Mansfield)

9. Sunday 18 October Full day Theme: BONY (Spring wildflowers) and birds
Leader tba Possible ecatitomns local, some based on 2012 SEAN excursion

10. SEANA camp Ggacrutien, see back page for details)

iO.

Diary

All Club meetings are held at the Golden
_ Square Senior Citizens Building, Old High St
Golden Square, unless otherwise indicated.

Wednesday, March 11 7.30pm

Mr. Daryl Fleay, Local Nature Photographer
Will talk about “Wedgies and other wast -
from an amateur's camera’

All are welcome

Club Excursions

Friday March 6 Half day

Theme: Waterbird count (autumn — no 1)
Leader: Jane Cleary

Location: Coliban Water sewerage treatment
works, Epsom

Details: Meet 9.00 am in Wallenjoe Road at
the bend where the entrance gate to the

big pond is located, 1.5 km down Wallenjoe
from Howard Street, Epsom

Activity: 3.5 km walk, observing and
counting waterbirds, bring morning tea
Note: This excursion had to be announced at
the February meeting — please accept

our apologies if you missed this notice.

Sunday April 26 Full day

Theme: Wellsford Forest’s big eucalypts

(Red Ironbark, Yellow Gum)

Leader: John Lindner and possibly others

Location: Meet at Golden Square,and

proceed to the start at the junction of

Ellesmere Track and Box Track, 14.0 km
from Taylor Street, Epsom

~ Details: 4.7 km (loop, return) walk to visit 9

large eucalypts

Notes: We will use the club’s field speaker

system

Topics: How such large organisms actually

function. Measurements (height, diameter,

volume, weight). The role of big trees in the

ecology of the forest

More planned excursions are listed on p 10

ul

South-East Australian Naturalists Network
(SEANA)

The spring camp will be hosted by the Donald
FNC
The dates are Friday 25 to Sunday 27
September

Participants either stay at one central venue or
use local caravan parks

The club will receive publicity in due course
and pass it on. There is a registration fee and
other optional costs

These campouts are a good opportunity to
visit other areas and see how other clubs run

Family Nature Club .

The Nature Club activities will continue in
2015, so look out for announcements or check
out their website.

Registration:

Bendigonatureclub@ gmail.com or 5443-1326
http://bendigofamilynatureclub.blogspot.com/

Wildlife Rescue & Information Network
Inc.

W.R.LN. is an organisation dedicated to the
care of orphaned, sick or injured native
animals. It is fully endorsed by the Dept of
Sustainability and Environment.

Please call our Emergency Number for Help
for Fauna in Need. Phone: 0419 356433.
WRIN meetings held on the Ist Saturday of
the month at 1pm the Golden Square Senior
Citizens Hall

Bendigo Native Plant Group meeting.

All interested people are welcome to come
along. Meeting starts at 7:30pm on the third
Tuesday of the month, Golden Square Senior
Citizens Hall.

_ Next meeting: 17th of March.

Friends of the Rordivailients Forest Walks

15 March Rise and Shine Bushland Reserve
Leader: Geoff Park. Ph. 0418138632. 4km
Meet at 9.30am outside 30 Templeton Street,

Castlemaine (Continuing Ed.)